The Daily Mirror's John Honeywell first reported in his blog that the recently refurbished ship, originally due back in Southampton on April 18, is waylaid in Valencia, Spain, and passengers (who will receive a full refund and a discount on a future cruise) were flown back to the U.K. on Monday.

Passengers set to embark on Sapphire's next cruise were to be flown by charter to Marseille on April 25 for a modified sailing, but Honeywell tells Cruise Critic that a statement from the line says repairs are taking longer than anticipated. As a result, the voyage has been canceled.

The statement says those scheduled to sail on the April 25 cruise have already received a 50 percent refund (to cover the cost of the shortened itinerary). In addition, the line is offering the option of cancellation with a full refund and future cruise credit or a chance to rebook on a future sailing instead.

The ship's next scheduled sailing, a Baltic voyage, is slated to begin on May 6. We'll keep you updated as more information becomes available.